William E. Eubank

Colonel William E. Eubank, 70, recognized as McDowell county's "first soldier," died at 7:30
o'clock Sunday night in the veterans' hospital at Huntington.

Col. Eubank had been a patient in the hospital for several weeks and suffered a stroke a week
ago. He had been in declining health since his retirement from active military duty in 1942. He
was staying at the Hotel Carter, here, when he went to Huntington to enter the veterans' hospital.

Led Troops Off

Three times, Col. Eubank led West Virginia troops away for active duty with the United States
Army, the first time in 1916 for the Mexican border incident, then in World War I and again in
World War II.

While known principally for his military life, Col. Eubank was a successful traveling man. He
was sales representative for the Superior-Sterling Hardware company for nearly 30 years,
traveling in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.

Col. Eubank was retired from army service in 1942, about a year after he led members of the
150th Infantry Regiment, West Virginia National Guard, to Camp Shelby, Miss., for active duty
with the regular army. This was in January 1941. After Pearl Harbor, most of the 150th was sent
to the Panama Canal Zone.

Born In Virginia

Col. Eubank was a native of Charlottesville, Va.

His military career started shortly after the Spanish-American War, when at the age of 18 he
enlisted as a private in the 3rd Virginia Regiment. He served three years as a member of
Company D in the Monticello Guards at Charlottesville. Those three years were the only ones
that he served as an enlisted man.

In 1914, while employed as a hardware salesman, the young man organized a company of militia
in Welch and was placed in command of a unit designated as Company K of the 2nd West
Virginia Regiment.

On July 2, 1916, his company was ordered to active duty on the Mexican border at a time when
Pancho Villa and his Mexican outlaws were running rampant.

Return To Welch

Nine months later, Capt. Eubank brought his company back to Welch, to stay only a few weeks
before being recalled to active service. The unit did guard duty at Charleston railroad yards and
along rivers, leaving in September for Camp Shelby, Miss., where it was designated as the 150th
Infantry and made a part of the 39th Division.

Within a year, Captain Eubank was promoted to a major and shortly thereafter, in September,
1918, he was detached from the West Virginia troops he commanded and assigned to special
duty with the 115th Infantry. Later, he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion Headquarters of the
114th Infantry with which he served in France from October 1918 to May 1919.

Reorganizes Guard

Following his return from overseas, Major Eubank became a member of the Organized Reserves,
and in 1921 at the request of Governor E. F. Morgan of West Virginia, he reorganized the 150th
Infantry, and was placed in command. His regiment was federally recognized on March 1, 1923,
and he was promoted to colonel on the same date.

Regimental headquarters was established in Welch.

So great was his attachment to the 150th Infantry that Col. Eubank once declined promotion to
brigadier general and command of the 75th Brigade.

Col. Eubank as commander of McDowell County Post No. 8, American Legion, in 1920 and 21,
took a leading part in the erection of the Memorial building here, first such structure in the
United States to the memory of those who died in the first World War.

He was also a member of Painter-Porroni Post No. 1021, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and
commanded Voiture 1171, Society of the American Legion.

A Republican, he once ran for his party's nomination for sheriff of McDowell county.